Washington Post cuts a third of its staff in a blow to a legendary news brand

The Washington Post is laying off one-third of its staff in the newsroom and other departments, a brutal blow at one of journalism’s most legendary brands. The large-scale cutbacks include eliminating the Post’s sports department and shrinking the number of journalists it stations overseas. The changes were announced by Executive Editor Matt Murray in a Zoom meeting with staff. The staff reduction is a significant setback at the Post, known in history books for its Watergate revelations and most recently for aggressive coverage of President Donald Trump’s cutbacks to the federal workforce, and for journalism in general.

Super Bowl LX ads feature AI, weight-loss drugs and celebs from George Clooney to Kendall Jenner

NEW YORK (AP) — As Super Bowl Sunday approaches, the battle off the field for advertisers to win over 120 million-plus viewers will be just as heated as the rivalry on the field. Dozens of advertisers are pulling out all the stops for Super Bowl 60. They are hoping that audiences tuning in will remember their brand names as they stuff their ads with celebrities ranging from Kendall Jenner (Fanatics Sportsbook) to George Clooney (Grubhub), and tried-and-true ad icons like the Budweiser Clydesdales. This year’s trends include health and telehealth companies advertising weight loss drugs and advertisers showcasing AI.

Renters use 'rent now, pay later' services to manage monthly payments, but fees raise concerns

NEW YORK (AP) — Renters facing high costs are turning to "rent now, pay later" services like Flex, Livble, and Affirm. These services let renters split rent payments, which they say will help them manage cash flow. However, consumer advocates warn the products often act like short-term loans with high fees, sometimes leading to triple-digit interest rates. Kellen Johnson used Flex to split his $1,850 monthly rent into two payments when he worked as an independently contracted delivery person for Amazon. He paid over $33 monthly in fees. Critics argue these services don't solve the issue of affordability in the rental market and may lead to higher rents.

The US authorizes a short extension to a longstanding African trade agreement. Here's what to know

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has extended a 26-year-old free-trade agreement with African countries. Trump on Tuesday signed an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA. The agreement first introduced in 2000 gives eligible sub-Saharan African nations duty-free access to the U.S. market for some products. The deal came under question last year when Trump's administration allowed it to expire while enforcing global tariffs. The extension will last through Dec. 31. The U.S. trade office says the agreement would be modified to take into account the Republican president’s America First policy.

Hank and John Green's studio becomes a nonprofit as they aim to make 'trustworthy content' online

NEW YORK (AP) — Author-vloggers Hank and John Green are turning their educational media company Complexly into a nonprofit. The multihyphenate brothers garner millions of views on popular shows such as Crash Course that explain common classroom subjects in engaging ways. The change is intended to ensure viewers have access to engaging, fact-based content that can compete free of advertisers’ interests in the attention economy. And the move comes as John says, “there's never been more information and yet there's never been less information that you feel you can trust.” He hopes that making Complexly a “public good” will help the production studio make more trustworthy content.

Disney parks chief Josh D’Amaro will take over for Bob Iger as CEO

Disney is naming parks chief Josh D’Amaro as its next CEO, succeeding Bob Iger. D’Amaro has served as Disney Experiences Chairman, spearheading efforts for the company’s theme parks, cruises and resorts.  The decision on the next chief executive at Disney comes almost four years after the company’s choice to replace Iger went badly, forcing Iger back into the job. Only two years after stepping down as CEO, Iger returned to Disney in 2022 after a period of clashes, missteps and a weakening financial performance under his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek.

Paris prosecutors raid X offices as part of investigation into child abuse images and deepfakes

PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors have raided the offices of social media platform X as part of a preliminary investigation into allegations that include spreading child sexual abuse images and deepfakes. They have also summoned owner Elon Musk for questioning. The investigation, which began in January last year, is looking into alleged complicity in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, among other charges. X and Musk's AI company xAI face scrutiny from Britain's data privacy regulator over their handling of personal data. The chatbot Grok, developed by xAI, sparked outrage after generating sexualized deepfake images. The investigation continues with support from Europol.

Wall Street drifts as tech stocks sink again

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting through mixed trading, as technology stocks sink again. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% Wednesday, coming off its fourth modest drop in the last five days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 389 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 1%. Most stocks within the S&P 500 rose, but the index sank under the weight of losses for Advanced Micro Devices and other tech stocks. AMD dropped even though the chip company reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Gold and silver prices pared gains from earlier in the day, while Treasury yields held relatively steady.

Vance says US seeks to create a critical minerals trading bloc with its allies to counter China

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration wants to create a critical minerals trading bloc with its allies that will use tariffs to maintain price floors and defend against China’s tactic of flooding the market to undermine any potential competitors. Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the trade war over the past year exposed how dependent most countries are on the critical minerals that China has a stranglehold on. Critical minerals are needed for everything from jet engines to smartphones. China dominates the market for those ingredients crucial to high-tech products. Also Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone.

Russia and Ukraine envoys meet in Abu Dhabi for 2 days of US-brokered talks

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Envoys from Moscow and Kyiv have met in Abu Dhabi for U.S.-brokered talks to end the nearly four-year war. The discussions on Wednesday came as Russian cluster munitions killed seven people at a market in Ukraine. The talks include U.S. officials and aim to address key issues. But previous negotiations last month yielded no breakthroughs. The meeting also coincides with the expiry of the last nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States. Moscow has continued to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure that has caused widespread damage. Ukrainian officials have expressed outrage. And repair crews are working to restore power amid freezing temperatures.